Halloween in Austin

Most importantly NO SNOW!!!  The city parties all week-end, dancing in the streets since Friday.  In the 3 Halloweens we've been here not one kid or adult has come Trick or Treating!  I guess I'll just save the candy for next year....kidding!  Follow-Up:  Abe told me one little boy rang the bell this evening.  And when Abe waved to the boy's father and said something to him the little boy said "he doesn't hear you, he's deaf."  Happy Halloween in Austin.

Trinity Street Players/Three Viewings

This afternoon I soloed up to First Baptist Church on Trinity and 9th st to see Jeffrey Hatcher's THREE VIEWINGS.  It's a black box theater that reminds me so of Public Theater in SoHo.  The top performance goes to Linda Miller Raf who plays Mac, a woman who robs cadavers in their coffins.  She is a very good actor.  I auditioned for this and did not get a part.  It was nice going back to see the selected performer.  I can see that I was not the right age for either part..too old/too young. The director and asst director were warm and remembered me.  Not bad for this newcomer.

Master Pancake spoofs HALLOWEEN/HUGOS

What fun!!!!  John Erler and partner Joe Parsons outdid themselves with this spoof of this awful movie.  And when Joe entered the audience wearing the Mike Myers mask and stood behind me I screamed my head off.  Abe said I could be hired as a plant it was so funny!  After this spoof Reed, Abe and I  headed to a new restaurant on S. Lamar, HUGOS.    Delicious, beautiful atmosphere, great service, FREE PARKING, great affordable prices.  What a lovely restaurant.  Hats off to new owner Magna Sampaio!!!!

East Side Studio Tour 2011/ Liz Moskowitz Photography

When we first arrived in Austin we spent a week-end at this artists' crawl.  From gallery to studio we were so impressed with the artists' talent.   And now our girl (oops woman) Liz Moskowitz has her photography represented in this quintessential Austin  artists' event celebrating Austin's artists.  We are so proud.  Her photos will exhibit at Pine Street Station (1101 East 5th Street).  The photos selected are from SUNDAYS portraying Indonesian and Filipino domestic workers living in Hong Kong.  These are photos taken with an empathetic heart.  Check them out for yourself.  And please support Austin artists.

Liz Moskowitz Photography

Austin Film Festival Final Day #8

Tonight we headed up to the Paramount to see Nancy Savoca's UNION SQUARE, a story of 2 estranged Bronx sisters.  A shout out to Mira Sorvino who played this unbalanced emotional and labile character with extraordinary honesty and great depth of feeling.  Tammy Blanchard as her sister was well cast as was her friend, Daphne Rubin-Vega. This reminder of my Bronx roots and Union Square with it's DSW, Feline's Basement and Farmer's Market made the film even more appealing to me.  It was great hearing people talk like me and call Manhattan "downtown." 

I met Abe at Roaring Fork prior to the film.  Once again my favorite Happy Hour haunt with the greatest chicken tortilla soup!  And so we close AFF for the year.  We'll be back!

UT OLLI/ Austin Film Festival Day #7

Fine day at UT today with Abe.  First 2 Seminars continue to keep us very interested.  We go from ethical issues to Sports and the teachers are both excellent.  The afternoon lecture was from a deep sea diver (woman) who was on the team that explored  a mine sweeper sunk at Pearl Harbor.  Not much of our interest here.
I stayed on campus and went over to the AT&T conference center while I waited to see A SWINGIN' TRIO, our neighbor Kelvin Phillips' film which made the list at AFF. The film was very well written and directed by Kelvin.  This evening it was well attended as well.   Hats off to you Kelvin.

Austin Film Festival Day #6

This afternoon I soloed it to SHORTS at the Hideout.  As always waiting on line with our favorite Welsh director and a lovely teacher we've met from Milwaukee adds to the great experience.  Shorts 4 were the best films I have seen in the festival.  (Along with GIN & DRY).  MWANSA THE GREAT was everyone's favorite.  An African film about children's fantasy play.  So creative and so well done.  Don't forget the name...catch it wherever and whenever.  A harrowing film WHAT TO BRING TO AMERICA about female circumcision in a modern Muslim setting had me cringing!!!! And yearning for a drink when it was over! PROTECT THE NATION about a child's hustling life in S.Africa had me cringing as well.  So well done by a NY young woman.  SHOOT THE MOON was about our modern economy and people losing their homes.  The relationship between the mother and teenage daughter was so well written and acted. The second set of shorts were too weird for my taste (think a  father's comically plotting to kill his young son----yech!)

A good day at AFF!  Tomorrow evening one more after UT OLLI.

John Malkovich in THE INFERNAL COMEDY

An absolutely unique, enjoyable theatrical event with Mr. Malkovich who tops the charts for me in unique, creative and natural performance.  His comfort with the stage and audience is so apparent tonight when he plays a Viennese serial killer on stage with 2 exquisite sopranos and a baroque orchestra.  Run don't walk to this UNUSUAL piece of theater.  We passed up AFF Day #5 for this.  We were not disappointed one bit.  I'll be back at AFF tomorrow to finally see some shorts now that everyone's gone back to their lives from wherever.

Austin Film Festival Day #4

Got up early as we were really psyched to see SAL at the Paramount.  A film about Sal Mineo (a fellow Bronxite) directed by James Franco who would be in attendance.  The lines were enormous around the block but we got in.  What a disappointment.  SLOW moving film of the last day of Mineo's life.  Think watching teeth getting brushed and working  out in the gym and kissing your neighbors dog (adorable) for a whole film.  The camera shots are close up and painfully slow and boring.  The music throughout was sung by a jazz singer who made me want to pull my hair out.  It seems James is studying film and this was a project for class.  You could tell. But his comments before and the Q&A were very good.
 This evening we saw a Texas made film that was Texas through and through: DEEP IN THE HEART.  A true story of a horrible alcoholic who abuses his family and after 16 years of his low life rises up to become a self made businessman and rancher.  A philanthropist who sends many rural Texan teens to college on scholarships.  Marco Parella, my acting teacher is in the opening scene as a hard nosed angry father who punishes his kid with a strap.  While Abe and I both enjoyed this Texas story neither of us thought it would distribute to a mainstream audience.
A highlight of this evening was spending more than an hour on line with the director and producers of GIN AND DRY, our favorite Welsh filmmakers.  Who once again gave us another DVD!  So while the movies weren't over the moon great today the entire experience was very enjoyable.  Discussing films with foreign filmmakers who love American films cannot be beat.

Austin Film Festival Day#3

What a way to start the day!  Of course the gym came first.    We left our car on our side of the bridge and walked over to the Austin Convention Ctr to see AGE OF CHAMPIONSHIP.  A beautiful documentary of the Senior Olympics.  The audience gave the filmmakers' subjects a standing ovation.  This is a beautiful documentary that should be shown in Middle Schools throughout the country to combat ageism.  Don't miss this film.  It is so inspiring.

 Then came AN ORDINARY FAMILY.  A beautiful film about family, faith and a brother's coming out of the closet.  Shot in Austin with an ensemble that will make you feel life as a film person in Austin is so good.

We headed over to the Stephen Austin for drinks outside and then up to the Texas Spirit Theater for BENEATH THE DARKNESS with Dennis Quaid, a world premier.    Blech, yuch.  You can miss this one.

Austin Film Festival Day #2

We began the day with Shorts 2 at the Hideout.  Only seats 90 but miraculously we got in (by the hairs on our ..)  Some were extremely well made.  Our favorite was GIN & DRY (UK) about seniors living in a facility which has had a shortage of alcohol for its residents who are generally treated like fools with no rights.  These residents are funny, charming and very much alive.  The central character is a professional actor who will touch you to the core.  Abe and I were fortunate enough to meet the director and producer to thank them for their skill and sensitivity.  They then gave us a DVD of the film which we will cherish.  We were unable to get into the next series of shorts and ran over to the Ritz where we saw WE CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN, a restored hippie dippie acid like restoration of Nicholas Ray's film made in the 70's with his Harpur students. (Ray is the director of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE). His 4th wife has put this film together and his biographer Patrick Mc Gilligan was with us for a Q&A.  While the film drove us up the wall in its disconnected lava lamp like footage of stoned, high drama young men and women (all with Bronx and Queens accents) the Q&A that followed was the best I have ever been to.  The biographer gave us an empathetic view of the positive effect teaching at Harpur brought to Mr. Ray's life after a period of steep decline.  The comments from the audience (think film students from the 60's and 70's) were intelligent, informative and lacked any self promotion.  So once again by keeping  an open mind you might not like a film but you sure might like the discussion that follows.

We waited and waited and did not get into THE RUM DIARY.  I did catch a glimpse of  Johnny Depp and oh yes......he is adorable!!!!!!!  So instead we ate pizza.  More tomorrow.

Austin Film Festival

Tonight's opening films did not disappoint.  We start  at the Paramount with the  enjoyable waiting on line with interesting friendly smart folks who love films.  And now that we've lived here for 2+ years we see familiar faces from AFF, UT, and people from my acting classes.  The first film we saw was BUTTER.  Do not miss this hysterical satire of America and it's politics.  The story is incredibly well written by Jason Micallef.  Did you know that they have butter sculpture contests in Iowa?  And that this stuff is taken quite seriously?  So here's Jennifer Garner, a Sarah Palin personality who ends up competing with a 10 y.o. smart black foster child..a girl..but Obama all the way.  This movie got 5 stars from everyone we spoke to and is thoroughly enjoyable.
Moving on to darkness is a psychological thriller, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE.  A story of a young girl very troubled by her stay in a cult with a Charlie Manson type figure played exceptionally well by the scary John Hawkes.  Elizabeth Olsen delivers an exceptional performance as the traumatized girl who returns to an older sister totally messed up.  This movie is very well acted and directed but it's quick black out ending is disappointing.  The acting is incredible and for that alone I would recommend it.  More to come tomorrow.

UT/OLLI and Reed's Home

School was great today!  Two seminars continue to be engaging, interesting with fabulous teachers.  I am just loving SPORTS, SPORTS,SPORTS.  Can you imagine?  Good discussions in both classes.  This afternoon's lecture  was about the importance of music throughout history.  Taught by a fabulous music/opera Educator, Margaret Perry from the Austin Lyric Opera.  Ran home to cook to celebrate Reed's return from Missoula.

Nice dinner, good wine, good conversation, and Liz joined us.   Up early tomorrow to have a tooth pulled.  YUCK!!!!  But tomorrow night begins AFF.  Now that I'm looking forward to.  Makes up for the sucky morning.

Austin Film Society/THE MUSIC LOVERS

More of Ken Russell tonight with this fabulous look at Peter Tchaikovsky's turbulent life filled with torment and raging conflict.  Who ever could imagine Dr. Kildare, every pre- pubescent girls heart throb performing with such range and emotion?  This period piece is well staged, well shot, well acted.  Glenda Jackson is brilliant as Tchaikovsky's tormented wife.  Once again "a movie obsessed kid from a seaside town" has gone on to make his own award winning films.  And thank-you AFS and Bryan Poyser for bringing us this lesser acclaimed film with great program notes.

Abe commented  that this director has proved to be one of his all time favorites.  My guy is a lover of horror, gangster and murderous films.  The joy of being exposed to something you wouldn't self select is not to be taken lightly.

A Day in the Life/The Moskowitz Family and Austin

I start my day at Gold's Gym, drop Abe off at  Skyline Terrace where he is  a social work consultant.  Pick Abe up and we both drive Liz to a job interview at  the Boys and Girls club up in the North.  The job is for a coordinator for after school programs for adolescents.  While she's a photographer her heart also lies in making the world a better place and her parents' social work histories have made an impression I guess.

And then we came home and gardened.  Tore up a dead tree and salvaged it's base just in case it has a last leg.  Planted indigenous grasses, lily turfs, and firecracker plants.  We cleaned up leaves and then sat on our bench drinking wine and marveling our good fortune to be in such a beautiful home and place in the worst economy imaginable  Abe never quite feels what I feel about this.  But I must admit I feel a direct relationship between   36 years helping others who no one else cares about, earning little money and now  this beautiful life in Austin.  I admit I thank God and Abe of course.

Back to Gardening/Audition

Major gardening once again with trips to The Great Outdoors and Home Depot.  Succulents, succulents, and more and a mexican lime tree and lily turf.  Tried and true liveable and sustainable through our drought.

An audition for a Different Stages production of Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour.  A group audition with women who have  broad theater acting skills and can speak with accents.   I am not trained in that form of acting and don't have the skills necessary.  I went in to the audition with low expectations and wanted the experience.  And that is what it was.  I'll be back to Marco's class for film acting in November. 

El Anatsui/SPRING AWAKENING

Today was filled with perfect weather, a wonderful art exhibit at the Blanton and a really good rock musical at Zach theater.  I recommend both events.

Pammy and my visit comes to an end now as she leaves in the early a.m.   God it was good!

Karaoke at Ego's

What a great day with Pam.  In the a.m.the gym, lunch under the oaks upstairs, dinner at SoCoCafe with Liz and then on to karaoke and dancin' at Ego's with Liz, Lindsey, Stav, Jeff and a host of her other friends from Pearl St. Co-op and Harris Ave CO-OP.  Pammy and I danced, sang off key and were delighted to be in such a funky place.  With such warm and energetic folks.  Austin you shine for me and my friend!  And I just love seeing my kid so happy with her friends.  Night y'all.

RESTLESS at the Violet Crown

Pammy's in town and in this glorious weather we spent the afternoon under the oaks on the 3rd floor terrace eating, drinking, talking.  We headed up to the Violet Crown to see this wonderful film starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper.  These are terrific actors beautifully telling a story of grief, loss, fear and love.  Even the dying Annabelle's mother, an alcoholic, is portrayed with enormous empathy.  The kamikaze ghost is a wonderful figure that helps guide this young man through a horrible loss.  Pam and I loved this film but both agreed it was a reach to have Annabelle looking so healthy and beautiful during her last 3 months.  I'm sure it was an artistic choice made by the director.
Following the film we headed over to the 4 Seasons where we ate outdoors, talked, laughed, and were reminded of how happy we are to be together once again.

WHO LIVES, WHO DIES, WHO DECIDES?

We're back at school each Wednesday at UT (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute).   Today was 2 for two on our seminar selections.  First was a brilliant liberal arts educator and humanist, Sheldon Ekland-Olson.  This Ivy educated human with warmth and enormous academic intelligence discusses life and death ethical issues in an open-minded style that encourages participation and different POVs.  We loved this class.  Then Sports, Sports, Sports.  What a hoot.  Music, videos, history and such fun taught by an extremely enthusiastic sports fan.  While I have never been a fan of competitive sports this teacher really brings it on!
The afternoon was a lecture by a social psychologist about the use of pronouns and what it says about the speaker.  A bit stiff and researchy for my taste, but a good speaker nevertheless.  The names of speakers and courses can be found on OLLI/Nova/UT.  I'm glad we're back at school.  A good choice.

TOMMY/Austin Film Society Goin' For Baroque

The first film in this Essential Cinema Series was one of my all time favorites from back in the day.  The music from The Who so easily comes back and you find yourself singing even when the sound goes off and Tina Turner is doing her fabulous Acid Queen number.  And all the old hippies in the audience laugh and were probably singing along as well.  And who can forget how absolutely gorgeous Roger Daltrey was?  Oliver Reed, Ann Margaret are so natural in their far out freaky roles and Elton John is adorable and slams it home with Pinball Wizard.   Jack Nicholson as the doc with his accented flair,  singing his lines and seducing Ann Margaret is cute!!!   But the best of all is the music, the lyrics, bringing me right back to 1975, a very different world for all of us.  I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  Thank-you AFS for the great reminder.

IDES OF MARCH

This is such a well made film with extraordinary performances by Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and everyone else.  Abe and I went to the Westgate after the gym and it was a great way to spend the afternoon.  I was so happy just to chill with him.  A finely made film about politics in this country.  It could make you pull your hair out.  And ask...when will these powerful men learn to not fuck 20 y.o.interns?  Don't miss this...it's a wonderful film.

50/50

I soloed this today at the Westgate as Abe watched football and Liz and Josh and friends headed up to bar-b-cue at Franklin's.  Some good down time for mama.  I have admired and loved Joseph Gordon-Levitt's skill and talent  since I saw him as a sexually abused kid in MYSTERIOUS SKIN.  And now I can add Seth Rogen to that category of actors.  This is a wonderful film about illness, family, friendship, an imperfect but human therapist and a very imperfect M.D.  Everyone should have a Seth Rogan in their lives when faced with a crisis of health.  He knows just what to do, what to say and how to behave.  I loved the way he treated his friend.  So real.  No bullshit.  And I loved Anjelica Huston as a Mama.  She is the real thing!

More football for the guys right now and then of course we all 4 head to Polvo's before Josh heads home.  He would not leave Austin without a stop to his favorite restaurant.

Yom Kippur 5772

The four of us went to CBI this morning for services and then Josh hit Freddies to watch football where Abe joined him.  I prepared the break fast meal and then headed up to UT Hillel for Yizkor (Memorial Services) where a prayer is said in honor of my parents. 
Tonight we broke the fast with Jeffrey Kroll, Liz's photography boss, our luscious Lindsey and the 4 Moskowitzes.  It was all worth it.  Cooking, baking, drinking the slivovitz bought by Jeffrey (STRONG) and sharing lots of stories and laughs.  And I move on to another year of making mistakes, not being perfect and loving life.  Now I prepare for Pammy's visit on Thursday.  Now this should be fun!!!!

Kol Nidre

Tonight marks the beginning of our Day of Atonement.  The Kol Nidre service, one of my favorites, addresses the vows we made the past year and erases the slate clean.  So that you can start afresh and do an inventory of your values, your treatment of people, your ethical foundation and make new vows.  The music is beautiful.   Tonight we will listen live stream from WQXR to the service from Temple Emmanuel on 5th Ave in Manhattan.  Josh is flying in from D.C. and we'll pick him up. I have cooked, shopped, baked and even planted some new succulents and cacti in pots.  Liz and I fast until tomorrow night.  The guys are less observant and do as they please.  We light memorial lights for our parents (Ben and Pearl Scherer and Jacob Moskowitz).  They burn for 24 hours.  Our meal tonight of course is chicken soup with matzoh balls, roasted potatoes, roasted chicken and chicken wings for Liz, peas and salads.  I've baked chocolate chunk cookies and jelly thumbprint cookies (Pammy and Liz's favorites).  To all of our friends I wish  L'Shana Tovah.

Austin Film Festival Line-Up

We've been attending this festival since we arrived here in 2009.  It was a great introduction to the film community here and with our film passes we waited on line with the friendliest Austinites who love films and are so knowledgeable.  We met directors, writers, people who just love Brooklyn and we eventually learned how to negotiate the festival.  We buy film passes for $42 and stay away from the smaller venues.  While we love the large mainstream films at the Paramount we also love the shorts.  And meeting the filmmakers at the Q and As.  I've seen many films here before they get to NY and so I send my posts back there for my friends who just love getting the feedback.

This morning I spent a couple of hours going over all of the films, making selections and finally finding the print-out which would require just a circle around the selections.   Tech savvy I am not.

And on that note an acknowledgment of Steve Job who died much too young and did indeed bring the geeky world of computers to the liberal art touchy feely artsy fartsy social work world I have inhabited for a lifetime.  May you rest in peace Mr. Job.

GROWING UP AMISH

That's what I'm reading now with THE CHILDREN's HOUR in preparation for an audition.  The gym,  cooking, preparing for Josh's visit and Yom Kippur break fast and LOVING this weather is how the day was spent.  Reed called from Missoula and our Midland native soon to return.  All is well and life is kind.  Now if we could do something about healthcare, the economy, the Tea Party and the Republicans life would be close to perfect.

PEKING OPERA BLUES/AFS

Tonight was the final film of the Hong Kong series.  This film made by Tsui Hark who studied filmmaking at UT is boldacious, energetic, BEAUTIFUL to look at, funny, rapid in movement, and it's  3 leading women are drop dead beautiful.  The two young men they hook up with in their escapades are quite adorable as well and one reminded me of Harry Potter with his round glasses and scarf.  Chale's program notes (5 pages tonight!) provide great historical perspective and I wonder how I've ever watched a foreign film without Chale's notes.  This film is an action film, a martial arts film, a shoot em up keystone cops film.  We saw it on Blue Ray and the quality of the film was beautiful to watch.  The audience thoroughly enjoyed the misspelled and incorrect subtitles which added to the light heartedness of the film.  Once again a terrific choice that both Abe and I loved.

The day started at KUT where I volunteered a 4 hour shift during John Aielli's Eklektikos. The phones did not stop ringing and we brought in $30K+ during this shift.  Can you imagine?  It is a pleasure sitting next to my acting buddy Rudi Lee while we answer the phones.  KUT was such a helpful transitional tool when I first arrived from Brooklyn.  I love this station, the music, the announcers and will be a loyal volunteer.  Night y'all.

Adele 21

I LOVE to dance when I cook.  And sing when I know the words (think Bob Dylan, Carly Simon, James Taylor).  I just bought Adele 21 and Sarah Jarosz's latest CDs.  And this is cookin' music!

Today we ventured to Goodwill on S. Lamar to make donations and donate $ to their youth program.  Goodwill is good at hiring youths that would otherwise not find work.  I love programs like this.  Of course while I was there I looked at stuff for me and Abe.  And what did I find?...a brand new Patagonia dress!  $79 when it first was advertised and then $50 at their first sale.  And I found it in teal blue for $8.99!  Oh the joys of retirement and time.  Nothing could take the shopper out of me.  And this is the town to do that shopping in!

DRIVE and John Philip Sousa

We walked over the 1st St Bridge in this glorious weather to a park on 9th and Guadalupe to hear SOUSA ON THE SQUARE by the Brass Ensemble from the Austin Symphony.  I love marching music...it makes you move your feet and is so up-beat.  We then walked over to the Alamo Ritz to see DRIVE which has gotten rave reviews.
 WOW!!!!!  So much violence and Jewish gangsters!!!!  Intense physical acting from Ryan Gosling with little dialogue.  Michelle Williams not doing much...looking cute.  She was much much better in Blue Valentine. The story line had gaping holes and I found myself asking questions throughout:  Where did he learn his ability to brutally kill, how does she have such a nice apt on a waitress's  salary, how come her kid doesn't go to school, how come he hasn't slept with her yet...on and on.  For me this never works.  Abe said 50/50 and believe me...he loves violence in films.  You decide.

Ballet Austin/ The Mozart Project

Tonight we headed to the Long Center to see this great program choreographed by Steve Miller. This was a collaborative effort with a program of 3 dances with music inspired by Mozart.  First a classical and whimsical dance with music performed by Dr. Michelle Schumann and the Austin Chamber Music Center.  Then an edgy more modern piece with music by the fabulous Austin composer Graham Reynolds.  Every time we hear music composed by this guy Abe and I are so impressed and happy.  And finally a really contemporary piece with music by Paul D. Miller, AKA DJ Spooky, based on Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.  We stayed following the performance for a Q&A given by the composers and Steve Miller.  The collaborative effort and process was discussed in terms that explained so well what we had just experienced.  The music and dance was put together in 5 weeks.  So hard to imagine.  Do not let anyone tell you that the ballet in Austin is nothing compared to NY.  This is so untrue.  The dancers were really good technicians and performers.  Abe always leaves  the ballet in Austin stating it tops everything else that we do.  Now that makes me happy.